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The Age of Bite-Size Entertainment

As the world goes mobile, get ready for more movies, books and music that can be snacked on in a single sitting.

Updated April 11, 2013 11:06 p.m. ET

When soap operas "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" come back to life online later this month, episodes will run for 30 minutes, about half as long as the hourlong blocks that ran on broadcast television for most of the shows' 40-year run. Why? Because they're likely to be watched on the go.

Everyone is talking about the binge-viewing craze, but as people increasingly consume TV, movies, books and music on mobile devices, briefer is better. Shorter formats "are in-betweeners, the cream in the...

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